1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receptacle, which is adapted for nesting and stacking with similar receptacles. Pursuant to the invention, the receptacle is intended in particular to be utilized as a food pan for the receiving and storing of hot or cold food items, and, which may be employed in connection with buffet or steam tables, among other diverse uses thereof.
In the instance of such receptacles, which are normally constituted of metal and are employed as food pans for buffets or steam tables, they are intended to receive and store various types of either hot or cold foods, although also adapted to receive and store non-food items, the receptacles must be able to be readily removed from the buffet tables in order to be either replaced by other similar receptacles, or for replenishing the food items contained therein. Generally, such food pans or receptacles must also be designed so as to be able to impart a sealing relationship between the receptacles and the buffet table on which they are positioned to thereby prevent any steam or cold air employed for, respectively, maintaining the food items in a hot or cold condition from below the receptacles escaping to the surroundings around the edges or rims of the receptacle.
Frequently, in order to facilitate the removal of the receptacles from their positions in which they are arranged on the buffet table, they must be lifted in a manner to prevent any burns or injury being sustained by the hands or the fingers of a person manipulating the receptacles, particularly inasmuch as the receptacles may be in a condition in which they possess extremely hot surfaces.
Moreover, it is also important to be able to arrange the receptacles, when these are food pans of essentially or preferably rectangular or parallel multi-cornered configurations to be able during non-use thereof to facilitate their stacking in nested relationships with other similar receptacles in a manner in which they are secure from shifting movement relative to each other to prevent a stack of nested receptacles to unduly tilt and possibly drop down, while concurrently being designed to avoid jamming when in their stack and nested conditions.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A considerable variety of receptacles or food pans possessed of generally nestable and stackable attributes, preferably constituted of metal, which may be employed for the positioning on buffet or steam tables, are well-known and widely employed in the food service industry, as well as for other uses in the storage of non-food items or products.
Zielinski, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,276 disclose a metallic buffet table food pan having outwardly sloping sidewalls with a rim portion which incorporates a notched flange structure, which facilitates the manual grasping and removing of the pan from the buffet table in which it is supported, so as to thereby avoid burns and injuries to the hands or fingers of handling personnel.
Mittmann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,719 disclose a receptacle configured for nested stacking with other similar receptacles, which includes outwardly extending bump-like corner structures at the upper rim edge thereof, enabling support of superimposed trays and stacking without interference relative to each other at the various corner sites thereof.
Vollrath, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,112 disclose receptacles comprising stackable and nestable metal transport pans, which are adapted to have surface deformations formed in the sidewalls thereof, facilitating nested engagement of superimposed pans on ledges intermediate outwardly sloping lower sidewalls and essentially vertical upper sidewalls terminating in a flange-like rim configuration.
Other similar kinds of receptacles or food pans, which include structure for nesting and superimposing these in a stacked relationship are disclosed, by way of examples, in Mittmann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,843 B1; Zank, U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,534 B2; Tosdale, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,720 B2; and Zank, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,945 B1.